Punggol Field Walk Flying Safety Suggestion

[edmond22]

Hi people,

to all who are currently flying over at Punggol Field Walk regularly, I have a few suggestions to our flying routine. The main objective is to make it safer and enjoyable. I hold the regulars who fly there can take a good look at this suggestion and lend your support here. If it is agreeable, I will print out this copy and image and distribute on the field and let all help to spread the message.

We are all gathered at the pavement border where we lay our butts, crafts and equipments. We shall name this area "Holding Area". This area will naturally needs to be protected by some minimal policy or routine. It has to be the safest area because this is where people eat, talk, rest and mess with their planes.

Situation 1:
Failed landing approach or takeoff resulting in crashes and near miss near or the parked car or people. This happens to almost everybody including myself no matter how experienced you are. It is quite simple how this can happen, if I choose to take off from the holding area, it is quite certain I will land in the holding area too. The chances of hitting someone when taking off and landing is very high and this happens almost every week. I know there is the other group of more experienced flyers or foamies who have landed without issues in the holding area for a long time but the point is this, when beginner flyers come, they will do the same thing and you will have the occasional "oohs" and "ahhs" that follows. It is nice to see a 3D foamie land nicely and easily in front of me, but it is quite another to have a Estarter smacked right behind and front of me twice in the same flying session real hot.

Proposed Solution:
Let's all restrict "live" models to taxi in and out of the holding area only. No taking off, landing or flying in that area. This means you have to physically get yourself out of the holding area, go over to the pavement preferably midway to the zebra crossing and onwards to fly or launch your plane. See midpoint in map, minimum from Fire Hydrant point onward. For people who are using the runway for takeoff and landing, this should be done from the same point (Fire Hydrant) on the road onward. If you are are a beginner, or have crashed your plane more than once onto the Holding Area (you know who you are), please have the courtesy and courage to move even further down the runway for your landing approach or takeoff, there are plenty of room, so use it. It is all too common to see plane on landing approach run out of runway and force crash at the Holding Area and the reason is quite simply because you allowed yourself too short an approach. There is an entire length of road for you to use, use it.


Situation 2:
Jaywalking or hogging the runway. Except for Helis where we coordinate for take offs and landings, there are times where flyers walk and "follow" their plane crossing the road back and forth during their flight. Some wander in circles on the road at the midpoint and this prevents people who are in the air from landing or worst still have their landing approach put into a panick frenzy when a "foreign object debris" walks or stand in the path.

Proposed Solution:
Your time on the road should be restricted to takeoff and landing only. You should exit the road to the pavement or Holding area at the earliest opportunity. Remember, you are in control, there is no need to chase the plane. If equipment is in question in case of range issue, then the craft should not take to the air at all.

[P4cm4n2000]

hi Bro, I totally agree with you safety MUST come first.
The holding area should only be for taxi-ing only...simple tail alignment checks etc....but avoid taking off or spot landings....

Some may be skillful to take off and land at holding area, however, lets not suggest this to newbies that its ok to do this cos they may not be skillful to control their plane yet.

Normally nitro flyers would walk out to the runway mid of track to land safely...however, since foam planes are so cheap today, we may be carried away to just any-old-how land.

As much possible, coming Sat/Sun lets straighten this "guideline" with folks there...

Folks at DH pls feel welcome to contribute your suggestions...thanks!

[mh3400]

Hi people,

to all who are currently flying over at Punggol Field Walk regularly, I have a few suggestions to our flying routine. The main objective is to make it safer and enjoyable. I hold the regulars who fly there can take a good look at this suggestion and lend your support here. If it is agreeable, I will print out this copy and image and distribute on the field and let all help to spread the message.

We are all gathered at the pavement border where we lay our butts, crafts and equipments. We shall name this area "Holding Area". This area will naturally needs to be protected by some minimal policy or routine. It has to be the safest area because this is where people eat, talk, rest and mess with their planes.

Situation 1:
Failed landing approach or takeoff resulting in crashes and near miss near or the parked car or people. This happens to almost everybody including myself no matter how experienced you are. It is quite simple how this can happen, if I choose to take off from the holding area, it is quite certain I will land in the holding area too. The chances of hitting someone when taking off and landing is very high and this happens almost every week. I know there is the other group of more experienced flyers or foamies who have landed without issues in the holding area for a long time but the point is this, when beginner flyers come, they will do the same thing and you will have the occasional "oohs" and "ahhs" that follows. It is nice to see a 3D foamie land nicely and easily in front of me, but it is quite another to have a Estarter smacked right behind and front of me twice in the same flying session real hot.

Proposed Solution:
Let's all restrict "live" models to taxi in and out of the holding area only. No taking off, landing or flying in that area. This means you have to physically get yourself out of the holding area, go over to the pavement preferably midway to the zebra crossing and onwards to fly or launch your plane. See midpoint in map, minimum from Fire Hydrant point onward. For people who are using the runway for takeoff and landing, this should be done from the same point (Fire Hydrant) on the road onward. If you are are a beginner, or have crashed your plane more than once onto the Holding Area (you know who you are), please have the courtesy and courage to move even further down the runway for your landing approach or takeoff, there are plenty of room, so use it. It is all too common to see plane on landing approach run out of runway and force crash at the Holding Area and the reason is quite simply because you allowed yourself too short an approach. There is an entire length of road for you to use, use it.


Situation 2:
Jaywalking or hogging the runway. Except for Helis where we coordinate for take offs and landings, there are times where flyers walk and "follow" their plane crossing the road back and forth during their flight. Some wander in circles on the road at the midpoint and this prevents people who are in the air from landing or worst still have their landing approach put into a panick frenzy when a "foreign object debris" walks or stand in the path.

Proposed Solution:
Your time on the road should be restricted to takeoff and landing only. You should exit the road to the pavement or Holding area at the earliest opportunity. Remember, you are in control, there is no need to chase the plane. If equipment is in question in case of range issue, then the craft should not take to the air at all.

I strongly agreed on the points. whether new or old have to take off n landing far away from the holding area.
how about frequency check ? any suggestion

[P4cm4n2000]

hi mh3400,
normally I will carry a Freq board for folks to check at the field.
however, have not update this chart yet and need to appoint an second person to carry out this task.

Usually any bros new or old will check or give a shout. however in the event
anyone changed freq or bought new TX, its still better to double check again.
so far so good...those similar Freq would know who to check normally , but still we cannot assume too much as well..

cheers!

[Bee_Flower]

Hi,

Just want to add my comments. Is it possible for plane to take off after the zebra crossing? I am thinking whether we can let the heli guys practise heli between the Fire Hydrant point to the zebra crossing?

Another thing is keeping the place clean. Do not throw broken prop around. Not the mention the rubbish after eating.

[edmond22]

Hi,

Just want to add my comments. Is it possible for plane to take off after the zebra crossing? I am thinking whether we can let the heli guys practise heli between the Fire Hydrant point to the zebra crossing?

Another thing is keeping the place clean. Do not throw broken prop around. Not the mention the rubbish after eating.

I take off after the Zebra crossing though it is not due to Heli flying but just purely safety reason. Normally for the Heli flyers, it is not a problem at all as they will usually fly their electric helis at the other field on the other side of the road. From time to time, there will be some who flies at the road and these are co-ordinated where if any fliers are taking off or landing, the Heli guy will simply land and pause for a while.

ANd you are so right about rubbish, I am one of the guilty ones and I have been talking about the walk. I guess it is time to walk the talk. Trouble on this area is that the bloody dustbin is very far away.

John, is there any possibiliy to ask the MP or something to designate a dustbin there?

[mh3400]

hi mh3400,
normally I will carry a Freq board for folks to check at the field.
however, have not update this chart yet and need to appoint an second person to carry out this task.

Usually any bros new or old will check or give a shout. however in the event
anyone changed freq or bought new TX, its still better to double check again.
so far so good...those similar Freq would know who to check normally , but still we cannot assume too much as well..

cheers!

ya right, i always walk to the flyiers who is flying to check thier freq before i turn on my tx to fly heli after zebra crossing.

[chiadennis]

You have my 100% approval.

[nightbreed]

I dropped by the field early yesterday evening to watch you guys perform and was simply astounded and horrified to see a plane going back and forth across the holding area at just above head level!

I was thinking, 'whatever happened to safety regulations?' This is one of the main reasons why I don't go to that field to fly anymore. There are too many people who do weird stuff like that. I'd rather fly solo (despite my raw inexperience) in the bigger open area near my place.

I think it's a bit off-putting for new-comers and beginners to see things like this happening.

Well, pardon me if I sound harsh.

[nightbreed]

I have to say that I have a lot of admiration and respect for a lot of the flyers at Punggol Field. They show amazing skill and ability. I owe a lot of my enthusiasm to these people who have guided me and helped me along. Sadly, I have been relegated to a by-stander. Please do not take my previous post as an attack on all the flyers there. Safety CANNOT be compromised.

[edmond22]

I have to say that I have a lot of admiration and respect for a lot of the flyers at Punggol Field. They show amazing skill and ability. I owe a lot of my enthusiasm to these people who have guided me and helped me along. Sadly, I have been relegated to a by-stander. Please do not take my previous post as an attack on all the flyers there. Safety CANNOT be compromised.

Hi Nightbreed, not to worry, you have a good point and if this thread never started, we would not have known how people felt about the style of flying. And this is how a fellow RC flyer feel, imagine how would the same public who use the field feel?

Basically, I felt unsafe at times and have ignore it for a good long while. I think by talking about it openly, we can at least let all know this is happening and we can discuss how we may best proceed forward to make all RC flyers and public feel at ease too when using the same field.


It is not about pinpointing anybody at all, I myself have committed the very same mistake I described right in the post. We simply have to evolve a bit more so that progress can continue and not be hampered by any incident esp our beloved field that has a nicely paved runway and field for flying. My main point is, preserve the field at all cost, to do that, we must be more accountable for our actions and keep them in check always.

[fishball]

just a noob suggestion....not sure if this is already in practice. Is it possible to allocate space (since there are 2 fields) for beginners to fly?
Reason being that most of us are crash-pilots and our acrobatic skills may be quite gung-ho. The risk of collision with other planes though rare may still be possible.
Let beginners fly in a 'restricted' airspace and once they are comfortable they can join the old birds to fly whereever they please.

For sure, I will fily on the right field since most regulars are usually on the left

..........dont 'kok' me if my comments stink!

[edmond22]

Nah your comments doesn't stink. What I am thinking is that it is tough to determine people as "beginner" or Old bird. Some have been flying for quite a while already but it is not uncommon to see them crashing their planes at the Holding Area. Everybody will at 1 stage or another crash, but if we can keep it to crashing in the field or road beyond the Hydrant point, it would have been ideal. I think it is perhaps a good idea to have a set of policies or guidelines that applies to all regardless of level. If we allow an experienced flyer to land into the Holding Area, then there is nothing to stop others to do the very same thing. I am just quite uncomfortable to see a nice landing by an experienced flyer in the holding area followed by another crash into the Holding Area. And at that point when a crash happens, it is also not so nice to walk up to the fellow to say "please lar, you know you not so "Zai", can allow yourself more space further away to land?". What I have witnessed is 2 crash landing that ends up at the same spot in the Holding area by the same flyer, same plane, same flight session, all I can conclude is "why the hell are we allowing people to PRACTISE landing into the holding area?" I was messing with my plane at that moment in a squat position, if I was standing, I would have been a casualty.

So basically the same point, let's all designate a safe spot "Holding Area" where no take off, landing or flying should take place.

[mh3400]

Nah your comments doesn't stink. What I am thinking is that it is tough to determine people as "beginner" or Old bird. Some have been flying for quite a while already but it is not uncommon to see them crashing their planes at the Holding Area. Everybody will at 1 stage or another crash, but if we can keep it to crashing in the field or road beyond the Hydrant point, it would have been ideal. I think it is perhaps a good idea to have a set of policies or guidelines that applies to all regardless of level. If we allow an experienced flyer to land into the Holding Area, then there is nothing to stop others to do the very same thing. I am just quite uncomfortable to see a nice landing by an experienced flyer in the holding area followed by another crash into the Holding Area. And at that point when a crash happens, it is also not so nice to walk up to the fellow to say "please lar, you know you not so "Zai", can allow yourself more space further away to land?". What I have witnessed is 2 crash landing that ends up at the same spot in the Holding area by the same flyer, same plane, same flight session, all I can conclude is "why the hell are we allowing people to PRACTISE landing into the holding area?" I was messing with my plane at that moment in a squat position, if I was standing, I would have been a casualty.

So basically the same point, let's all designate a safe spot "Holding Area" where no take off, landing or flying should take place.

can I suggest that we form a community with a chairman to be responsible for giving instruction or sometime else .
We do need a chairman for this as this group is getting bigger n bigger n will lost control.

[nightbreed]

Hmm. I was reading this thread and it suddenly dawned on me that this safety issue was already discussed some time back. The latest one involved setting up some kind og regulatory committee. The argument was whether or not to do it, since we are doing this as a hobby and not some kind of club. Also, there was a concern about whether a regulatory board would stifle interest and introduce red-tape. After that, I didn't follow the thread further. Was there such a thread? What was the conclusion?